Kroger plans to ditch plastic bags by 2025

The company, which owns a sprawling list of supermarkets including Harris Teeter, Fred Meyer, and Ralphs, announced on Thursday that it will gradually transition to reusable bags at its nearly 2,800 locations.

QFC, a Seattle grocery chain owned by Kroger, will be the first of the stores to eliminate plastic bags. They'll be gone at QFC by 2019.

Kroger CEO Rodney McMullen said in a release that Kroger was taking a "bold move that will better protect our planet." The company said it will consult shoppers and NGOs during the process.